Sounding device



Y Units-n stares vieron Huso coNLEY, or ViniziateETH; NEW riiuisnv,

soUNDINGnEvICE i T0 all wzm t may concern:

"Be it known that LVic'ron H. CoNLEY, a

` citizen of theUnited States,and resident of Elizabeth, in thecounty ofUnion and State "of New Jersey, have invented a new and ImprovedSounding Device, of which the following-vis a full, clear, and exactdescription. l f Y Y It is well appreciated in'c'onnection with thenavigationof vessels, that itis oftendesirable to ascertain the exactdepth oftheA water upon which the vessel isy floatlnfg. y MlVith this inview,'it has heretofore been customary.' to employ what .is commonlyknown as a lead line. y

rllhisv dev1ce cons1stsas is well known, of

I aheavy cylindricalmember having one of its ends attached toa cable. Intheuse of this device, it was necessaryjto bring the vessel to anvlalmost complete stop, and to cast the lead as far in advanceV of thecourse as possible, so that -the same would be'capable of-strikingthebottom by the time the vessel was passing over the spot at which thelead entered the water.'A i

It is well appreciated that this is not a desirable. course to follow,in view of the fact-that it is almost incumbent upon the vessel to cometo a stop to permit the lead.

to reachthebottom, atthe same time, the. vessel is passing over the stopas aforestated,

soithat' an approximately'accurate measurement of the line which hasbeen taken out by the lead may be had.

With this in view, a device has been utilized which embodied ablade-like structure provided ywith planes or fins arranged at an angleto the horizontal, which device was trailed from a lead line extremelynear the bow of the boat. Due to the inclination of the lplanes it wastheoretically not necessary to slow the speed of the vessel in view ofthe'fact that it was found that the planes would force the soundingdevice constructed int-his manner, to aV position nearly verti-l callybelow the'keel of the vessel.

This sounding device has failed to accomplish its purpose in that thedevice, although forcing its way downwardly against the action of thevessels motion, `caused the line to extend inv theV form cfa how so thatno accurate measurement ofthe depth might be hoped for.

v Further, the device far from extending vertically below the point ofentrance of the line into the water, trailedl to the rear of vment tocauseV its action g Y Specification of LcttersPatent. vPfafi-3a3'1i1td-Jan. 31,192.2. Application mea vAugust as, 192a serial 110.1406533. v

lthe same:` at ai'point proportionate to `the.

depth. Also,v this device was subject to av Y 'measurement wasjfurther*prevented',V -H -ff'- Aside from this, 4a sounding! device constructedin'accordancef with the last-mentioned principle was incapableof adjust-Y proportionate to the speed 'of the vessel;` Y ff 1With these defectsin mind, I'havenow arent 'or-.FICE. Y

constructed a sounding device by meansrof '1 which an accurate soundingmight be'tak'en.' A furtherobject of myv invention isthe construction ofa sounding device in which yawing willxbe eliminated, and Y' A stillfurther object of my `invention is. the provision of a device of thischaracter,` lwhich maybe adjusted according tothe nature of the work towhich itisj to 'be sub-V jected. Y, j Y l Reference is had totheattached sheet of drawings as illustratingl one practical .embodiment ofmy invention, and in` which-,-4

Figure'l is aside view of a vessel-with myA improved sounding deviceattached thereto,

showingthe same in use, it being noted that the sounding deviceV isexaggerated in size.

FigureQ is a sidevview ofthe sounding device, and Y Y i Figure 3 is afront view of thesame.

In these views, the reference numeral 5 indicates a vessel, from thevbow of which the lead or trailing line 6 lof any desirable constructionis suspended, it being noted that'the lower end of this -lineisconvenfins 8 ofthe device', so that the sameimay be trailed from thebowxof the boat, it be-v ing noted thatv the line may be paid out in anysuitable manner.`

AContr'aryrto the conventional constructionV however, a spring drum orother suitable reeling device 9 lcarries a line 10, it'being noted thatthe drum or other supporting `device for the line 10 is preferably posiytioned amidships, or adjacent the 'stern of v Y,

sov

iently forked as at 7, and attached to thekv vice will be prevented,andit will be understood that the depth may be" @SCQI'-Ild by ameasuring of the line 10, or by triangulation, the latter being found inthe known length of the lines 6 and l() and the angle which the samepresent to a horizontal surface.

To now p'rovide a sounding device which will be capable of adjustment invarying the speeds of the vessel, l conveniently form the fins 8 ofstrips of metal having their inner ends u'pturned at right angles to thebody-portion thereof, as has'been indicated at l2, so 'that the innerfaces of the upturned portions may lie 'iush against the inner faces ofthe blade 13 of the device.

Ylt is to be noted that curved slots i6 1 are cut through the body ofthe blade 13,

such slots corresponding in number to the pairs of fins 8 used. Theseslots correspond to Van are of a circle having as its center, the'pivot14, which passes through pairs of lins 8 and permits of their angularadjustfme'nt, such adjustment being maintained by any suitable securingmeans such as a bolt and nut 15 passing through the upturned portions l2of adjacent pairs of fins S, and through the slot 16.

By this construction it will be understood that the angle of the fins 8be adjusted proportionate to the speedof vthe vessel so that acorrespondingly downward pressure may be brought into being upon thesounding device being lowered below the surface of the water.

Also a keel'l may conveniently bev afiixed to the blade 13, and extendbelow the same so that the device as a whole may ride clear ofobstructions upon the bottom.

Obviously numerous modifications of structure may readily be resorted towithout in the least departing from the spirit of my: invention, wln'chl claim as l. A sounding device, including a blade, iins secured to andextending outwardly Vfrom said blade and being adapted to lie at anangle to the direction of travel' of the same, and means by which theangle of the blades can be varied.

2. A sounding device, includingy a-blade, fins secured to said blade, atrailing line adapted to extend from avvessel and having said bladesecured to its llower end, and a second line extending between saidblade and the deck head of a vessel saidlatter line being adapted to liein asubstantially vertical position having its lowerv endv attached tesaid ns, and a bridle having its lower ends secured adjacent theouterends of said fins, the upper end of saidbridle engaging 4the lower endof said second line.

3. A. sounding device, including a blade formed with a plurality ofcurved slots, fins pivotally secured to said blade on opposite sidesthereof, andmeans engaging said fins and passing through said slots forretain-V ing said lins in angular -adjustment.

et. A so'undingrdevice, including a blade formed-with a pluraiity ofcurved slots, 'a plurality of fins, comprising a body portion and anupturned inner, end,said lupturned inner end being adapted to lie lflushagainst one of the side facesof said blade,

)ivots ada ated to )ass throuOh the upturned Y l i l e i ends of said nsand blade, whereby to'permit a swinging motion ofthe rfins, and securingmeans also passing through the upturned ends of vcertain of said ns andthrough a slot formed in the blade.

' vieToa riuso contar.

